


It ain't about all the friends you made, but the graffiti they write on your grave

by stressed_depressed_emo_mess



Category: Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys - My Chemical Romance (Album)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 06:02:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24450046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stressed_depressed_emo_mess/pseuds/stressed_depressed_emo_mess
Summary: As the patrols get heavier and heavier, Newsagogo and Dr. Death Defying have a little chat.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 3





	It ain't about all the friends you made, but the graffiti they write on your grave

**Author's Note:**

  * For [xav_rock_n_roll](https://archiveofourown.org/users/xav_rock_n_roll/gifts).



Newsagogo’s radio crackled to life beside her, scaring her out of her day-dream. It also startled her girlfriend, Hot Chimp, who manages to reach the hand-held first. The pair had been sitting on the hood of the station’s van, staring off into the horizon, hand-in-hand, and heart-in-heart, thinking about what their future might have in store but also thinking about what could have been. They had decided on a small cabin right in the middle of the Witch’s garden, surrounded by trees, not a care in the world. Of course, the ever-present humming of the city snapped them out of that fantasy; nothing like that would happen while BL/I was in charge. They started to dream up smaller, more achievable goals, like living out of a car together, running up and down the zones, collecting stories and gossip like Newsie had been doing for as long as she could remember. They promised each other that the only thing that would tear them apart would be the Phoenix Witch herself, and Newsie said a quick prayer to ensure that when the time came they would be taken together. That’s all Newsie wanted, was to be with her girlfriend. She had even come up with a nickname for her- Chi-chi. As always, Chi-chi hated it, but Newsie was adamant about calling her that. It’s what she did best, being too sweet to turn down, but pressing hard enough to get the information she needed. That’s why the Dr. brought her on board after all. And, she even managed to get the van keys from him so she and Chi-chi could go watch the sunset, a favorite past-time of theirs. Newsie had Chi-chi’s head in her lap, lightly stroking her girlfriend’s bleach-blond hair, and she didn’t want to move from that spot. If she could only have one thing to do for the rest of her life, it would be this. Gazing at the desert skyline with Chi-chi in her arms. But, the moment was broken once the static of the radio broke through.  
“DJ Hot Chimp, whatcha got?” Chi-chi says, settling back into Newsie’s lap so they could face each other. Chi-chi’s smile soon melted away into a look of shock, a look that Newsie knew too well.  
‘Where is it?’ Newsie mouthed, and Chi-chi motioned with her head to lean in, sharing the receiver.  
“- near the station, I need you to come back now. They’ve already plowed through a gang and I don’t want you to get caught up in anything else.” It was Show Pony, and they sounded pretty terrified. Newsie and Chi-chi exchanged a glance that said ‘We need to go’ and while Chi-chi finished the conversation with Pony, Newsie started up the engine to the van, speeding off right after Chi-chi put her seatbelt on. All she could think of were the ‘What ifs’. She knew who “They” were, a patrol of Dracs, and if they were anywhere near the station- Newsie didn’t want to think about what might have happened if they found it. What if they did? What if the Dr. was still in there? What if he-  
“NEWSIE!!” Chi-chi yells as they almost run off the road. Newsie pulls hard on the steering wheel, getting back on course before slowing to a stop.  
“I’m sorry, honey, I just can’t-” Newsie begins, silenced by a quick kiss by Chi-chi.  
“I know, you’re scared, I’m scared- who am I kidding; you’re probably terrified, but you need to focus. Newsie, you need to focus. I can tell you while we’re driving, but we need to keep going.” Chi-chi cups Newsie’s face in her hands. “It’ll be ok.”  
Newsie nods her head, then squeezes her eyes shut and tries to formulate a plan. She opens them again and slowly eases the van back to speed. “How many of them?” she asks, keeping her eyes on the road.  
“Four Dracs. There was an exterminator, but it got fried in the last clap with that crew that all got dusted.” Chi-chi recalls.  
“Do we know which one?”  
“Exactly? Not at the moment, but the runner who called it in said he had red hair and was a black suit- so either very new or we dusted a big one. And, they had a white blaster instead of a black one.”  
“Let’s hope it’s the latter, it would give the crew’s death’s more meaning… but either way, four dracs aren’t too bad. Do we have their location now?”  
“No.”  
“Ok, can you radio one of the Fab Four and see if-”  
“Pony already did that, they’re gonna see if they can’t hunt them down and get information about the Girl.”  
“Two-for-one…”  
“Mhm. Now focus on the road. Don’t think too much- I know, that sounds awful, but just take my word for it.”  
“Aye-aye DJ.” Newsie rolls her eyes at her ridiculous girlfriend, but she had a point. Don’t think about the what-ifs. So Newsie didn’t. Instead, she thought through all the c/r/o/w/s she had seen over the years; in-person or on-poster, and tried to match their bacon to the pig. Chi-chi stayed quiet, witch bless her for that, because about two miles until the station, Newsie slammed on the breaks.  
“I know who it is. Not many black-suits have red hair, so who could it be? Big brother isn’t stupid enough to send out a rookie without hyping up his arrival.” Newsie starts driving again and Chi-chi looks hopeful and she continues, “And with a white blaster- it’s Frostbite. Chi, they killed Frostbite…”   
This was a cause for celebration. Ol’ Frosty had been racking up kills and climbing the ladder faster than Korse in his prime. With 20 confirmed within his first year of service, he would have wiped out an entire generation of rebels by the time his fifth year came around. Of course, 20 kills aren’t very impressive on its own, but once you take into account the 168 kilometers of desert to hide in, c/r/o/w/s were lucky to even see one a month. Frosty the snowman was only in his fifteenth month, so those numbers were bad news for the rebels. But, a crew gave their lives to the Phoenix Witch to ensure others wouldn’t have to. Newsie said another prayer to the Witch. As she finishes, they pull into the station’s makeshift drive-way.   
Newsie shuts off the engine and sees Pony in the doorway. Stepping out, Pony strides up to her, their helmet under their shoulder and a somber look on their face.   
“He’s alive- but he wants to talk to you.”  
“Ok, but we have some news of our own- Chi-chi, could you tell them?” Newsie says, buzzing with excitement, opposite to Pony’s dark expression.   
Chi-chi kisses Newsie on the cheek and says, “I’ll be in after you.”  
Newsie giggles and shoves her girlfriend off her playfully before pushing the door to the station open. The Dr. was sitting behind his desk, flipping through papers of what she could assume were fliers for the news zone band she would go scout out, or plans of a supply raid she would get to cover; those were her favorite. But as she drew closer, Dr. D put the papers away and silently gestured to a nearby chair. There was an energy in the room that was unwantedly familiar to her, bad news was about to be brought forward and Newsie hated it every time. She braced for the names of the crew, thinking of the friends and allies who would be affected, it broke her heart.  
The Dr. seemingly read her mind. “This ain’t about that crew that got dusted… well, it kind of is, but if we have four dracs who can plow through a veteran crew like that I don’t- I’m gettin ahead of myself.” He shifts uncomfortably in his wheelchair before scratching the back of his neck. “Witch, how long have you been workin together?”  
“Uh, about as long as I can remember, so ten, eleven years now? I mean, you are my mentor, and at this point you’re family-” Dr. D visibly winced at that “-you and Pony, and the four, Girl, Cherri, wherever he is. Why?”  
“You ain’t makin this any easier, kid. I’m firin’ you. Not firin you per-say, but I’m tellin you that you gotta go.”   
Newsie felt like she had been slapped. After all this time, after all the stories, after all the memories; he was telling her to leave, just like that? What the hell was she supposed to say? ‘Thank you, sir, for letting me be a part of your team-’ No! This wasn’t happening. She wasn’t going anywhere. So that’s what she said.  
“Newsie,” D said, fear surging through his voice, “I know. I know, I know, I know. I knew you wouldn’t go that easy. But hear me out. I’m worried. I’m worried that the next time a cloud rolls though here they’re gonna find this place- and they’ll find you in it.” Newsie opened her mouth to say something else, but D just raised his hand. “Or worse- they don’t find you, or me, but they find Chimp. And if they do, they’ll kill her. It ain’t gon be pretty. I’ve already talked to Pony about this- they’re gonna set you up with another station way out there, and you’ll host that once the current one fades out.”  
Newsie could feel her eyes start to sting, “I don’t want another station. I don’t want to host another show- witch, I don’t want to be Paper Boy for another station!! I want to stay here!”  
“But you need to go!” D’s voice cracks on the last word; something Newsie had never heard before. “You need to. If you die too- I can’t take- I can’t lose another family member. Please. If you don’t do it for yourself, do it for me.” He hangs his head low, and drops his voice, “And if you don’t do it for me- do it for her.”  
This time Newsie did start crying. She hated doing that, crying, but Chi-chi always reminded her that emotions were a good thing. She moves around the desk and hugs the Dr., holding on as tight as was comfortable. She really didn’t want to go, and she knew that D didn’t want her to- neither did Pony- but she knew that this was the best option. In all honesty, she knew this was coming. The patrols were getting heavier and heavier, and soon they would have had to move, but she thought that they all would go together. She pulls back, wiping her tears away and smoothing down her hair. The Dr.’s face lights up, which throughs Newsie off guard, and he opens a cabinet and starts digging through it, muttering to himself. He gives a triumphant ‘Aha!’ and fishes out a pair of blue and pink glasses. Newsie gasps.   
“Where did you find these?” Newsie’s hand darts out and closes around her glasses. She had lost these in a clap a few months back, and she thought she’d never see them again.  
“I called in a few favors, but I knew it’d be worthwhile,” he said motioning Newsie to move out of the way. She scrambles back as Dr. D rolls out of the room signaling Newsie to follow behind him. Once they push outside of the station, Newsie sees Pony comforting one DJ Hot Chimp on the hood to the van.   
“Oh, by the way, you should keep the van- ain’t goin anywhere anytime soon,” D says, nodding his head to Pony. Chi-chi jumps up when they make eye contact and darts over to her and gathers her up in a tight hug.   
“Are we going?” She whispers.  
“Yes, babe, we are, I’m sorry but-” Newsie starts but Chi-chi cuts her off  
“No, this is the best idea. I’m proud of you.” Chi-chi says lovingly before pulling away  
Newsie rubs her girlfriend’s back and looks over to Dr. D and Show Pony. Pony walks up and puts a hand on her shoulder, rubbing it gently.  
“We’re gonna miss ya, kiddo.” Pony says sadly.  
Newsie chuckles and says, “Oh no, just because you’re gettin rid of me doesn’t mean you’ll never see me again. You two are my family, and there’s no way I’m forgetting that.”


End file.
